8:20 a.m. update: Some clouds have settled over the area for now behind the front, along with a few showers. They will clear as the day wears on, but that process may be slow initially. The good news is that dew points (humidity levels) are plummeting!

Today’s Daily Digit

A somewhat subjective rating of the days weather, on a scale of 1 to 10.

9

Feels fantastic, minus a few of the stronger wind gusts. I like me a good autumnal breeze, but not full-on wind!

Express Forecast

Today: Very breezy, gusty at times. Highs: Mid-70s to near 80.

Tonight: Clearing, noticeably cooler. Lows: Mid-40s to low 50s.

Tomorrow: Mainly sunny. Highs: Around 70 to low 70s.

Sunday: Blue skies. Highs: Mid-to-upper 70s.

FORECAST IN DETAIL

Cooler temperatures are accompanied by a stiff breeze—gusty winds, at times—but we should still be able to enjoy cooler temperatures, eradicated mugginess, and fair skies with more sunshine than clouds. Saturday looks like the highlight, but Sunday is nothing to sneeze at. Frankly, it could be pretty darn swell though Tuesday, for the most part. Gardeners even have some recent rains to be happy about, right?

Today (Friday): Windy but sunny. 25-30 mph gusts are possible along with sustained winds as high as 15-20 mph during the late day. You might want to consider a windbreaker? Yes, let’s start locating those non-summer clothes! Periodic cloud cover, mainly in the morning, should give way to a good deal of sunshine, overall. High temperatures should make it into the mid-70s for most spots, a few upper 70s to near 80 could be too optimistic—but possible—especially south of town. Enjoy lower humidity, too! Confidence: High

Tonight: Skies may be partly cloudy at times, but still a dry regime with essentially zero rain threat. Yes if you didn’t find that jacket for daytime hours, consider looking for it now. I am going to love the chill though, while it is still a novelty of sorts. Breezes remain brisk through the evening (10-15 mph from the north & northwest) – adding to the crisp feeling – slowly diminishing to around 10 mph as the night gets late. Lows bottom out in the mid-40s in the outlying suburbs (with some lower 40s possible in the highest elevations), upper 40s in the closer-in suburbs, and in the lower 50s downtown. Confidence: Medium-High

Tomorrow (Saturday): It doesn’t get much better on a weekend. Sunshine with high temperatures around 70 into the low 70s. Enjoy a refreshing 5-10 mph breeze out of the north-northwest. It may even feel like October. Please don’t complain! But yes we are not acclimated to such temperatures just yet. Confidence: Medium-High

Tomorrow night: Clear skies allow it to cool quickly. Break out seasonal hot evening beverages! Well, it won’t really be cold per se, but our bodies will enjoy it. And perhaps even react with a few goose bumps, since we have acclimated to heat lately. Temperatures well outside the Beltway have a chance at hitting the mid-40s with upper 40s to low 50s likely nearer all the pavement/downtown. Confidence: Medium-High

Sunday: A day that lives up to its bright name, with very few clouds in our blue skies. High temperatures in the mid-to-upper 70s are blissfully below average for this time of year. Get outside! And, yes, consider that sunscreen since that sun is still high and quite strong during midday hours. Confidence: Medium-High

A LOOK AHEAD

Sunday night: Relatively fair and calm, with just a moderate amount of cloud cover at times. Low temperatures in the mid-to-upper 50s still feel fairly fantastic. Windows can stay open, right? Confidence: Medium

Monday could have a few clouds (thanks to a weak cold front) but unfortunately little rain potential for gardeners still looking for more. The highlight is a reinforcement of dry after the front passes through (likely overnight). High temperatures easily head upwards with light southerly breezes ahead of the front, toward the 75-80 degree range. Confidence: Medium

Tuesday could be my kind of autumn day, with slight crispness but also sunshine. Nice day stamp material, probably, should new data not change this forecast. High temperatures in the 70-75 degree range and virtually no mugginess to speak of… Perfect? Confidence: Low-Medium

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